Investing.com – U.S. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Oil & Gas, Basic Materials and Utilities sectors led shares higher.
At the close in NYSE, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.54%, while the S&P 500 index added 0.84%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.74%.
The best performers of the session on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT), which rose 1.63% or 1.50 points to trade at 93.36 at the close. Meanwhile, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) added 1.61% or 2.72 points to end at 171.78 and Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) was up 1.58% or 0.78 points to 50.14 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were American Express Company (NYSE:AXP), which fell 0.58% or 0.46 points to trade at 79.23 at the close. Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) declined 0.39% or 0.44 points to end at 111.87 and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) was down 0.38% or 0.94 points to 246.78.
The top performers on the S&P 500 were Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN) which rose 5.83% to 7.81, Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE:NEM) which was up 5.25% to settle at 34.10 and Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX) which gained 5.09% to close at 12.89.
The worst performers were Macy’s Inc (NYSE:M) which was down 2.04% to 30.32 in late trade, Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) which lost 1.99% to settle at 89.92 and AutoZone Inc (NYSE:AZO) which was down 1.74% to 716.29 at the close.
The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite were Cerulean Pharma Inc (NASDAQ:CERU) which rose 33.04% to 2.980, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:CPRX) which was up 32.48% to settle at 1.550 and Hutchison China MediTech Ltd (NASDAQ:HCM) which gained 28.38% to close at 20.54.
The worst performers were Connecture Inc (NASDAQ:CNXR) which was down 26.70% to 1.400 in late trade, FTD Companies Inc (NASDAQ:FTD) which lost 23.69% to settle at 17.85 and DragonWave Inc (NASDAQ:DRWI) which was down 23.68% to 1.4500 at the close.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by 2766 to 475 and 26 ended unchanged; on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, 1697 rose and 822 declined, while 108 ended unchanged.
Shares in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) rose to all time highs; rising 1.61% or 2.72 to 171.78. Shares in Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:CPRX) rose to 52-week highs; rising 32.48% or 0.380 to 1.550. Shares in FTD Companies Inc (NASDAQ:FTD) fell to all time lows; down 23.69% or 5.54 to 17.85. Shares in Hutchison China MediTech Ltd (NASDAQ:HCM) rose to all time highs; gaining 28.38% or 4.54 to 20.54.
The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the implied volatility of S&P 500 options, was down 5.61% to 11.61.
Gold Futures for April delivery was up 1.45% or 17.45 to $1220.05 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April rose 2.58% or 1.23 to hit $48.95 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract rose 2.04% or 1.04 to trade at $51.96 a barrel.
EUR/USD was up 1.17% to 1.0728, while USD/JPY fell 1.21% to 113.36.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 1.21% at 100.39.